Oxidative Effects of Na + - Specific Ionophore Monensin on the Rat Epididymis

The carboxylic antibiotic ionophore monensin is well-known for the Na+/H+ exchanger activity across the biological membranes. The current study has been designed to investigate the effect of monensin on spermatozoal concentration, motility, and oxidative stress–related parameters in the rat epididymis. Monensin was administered orally at a dose of 3.5 mg/kg body weight daily for 70 days, a duration that coincides with the completion of the spermatogenic cycle. At the end of the respective treatment, the epididymis was isolated into three separate regions—the capitum, corpus, and the cauda—successively away from the head of the testis. Marked changes were noted in the body weight, organ (epididymis) weight, sperm concentration and motility, as well as the morphologic observations of the sperm and the histologic architecture of the epididymal epithelium. Significant alterations were also recorded in the oxidative stress parameters such as the lipid peroxidation product, malonyldialdehyde, and the activity o...